The Emergence of Japan
By: Donovan Spann & Xzandria Wells
Geography Sets Japan Apart
Japan-
Located on an archipelago (Chain of islands)
About the size of Montana
Four-fifths of the land are too mountainous to farm
Mild Climate (Sufficient rain) helps farmers make the most of the land
Surrounding seas protect, isolate, maintain identity, and serve as trade routes
Close enough to mainland to be impacted by China & Korea but to far to be conquered
Lies in the Ring of Fire (Chain of volcanoes in the Pacific ocean)
Effected by tsunamis (killer tidal waves launched by underwater earthquakes)
Early Traditions
Japanese people-
Suspected to have migrated from Asia 2000 years ago
Slowly pushed early inhabitants onto northernmost island of Hokkaido
Divided into Uji or clans
Yamato Clan-
Came to dominate Japan's largest island Honshu around AD 500
Yamato Plain heartland of Japanese government for 1000 years
First and only dynasty
Claimed to be defendants of Amaterasu (The sun goddess)
Religion of Nature-
Worship known as Shinto
Not a international religion but still popular in Japan
Hundreds of shrines dot the Japanese countryside
Korean Connection-
Language distant to Korean but completely different from Chinese
Continuous contact with Korea
Koreans brought skills and technology to Japan but still had constant conflict
Korean missionaries brought Buddhism to Japan and knowledge of Chinese culture and writing
Japan Looks to China
Prince Shotoku of the Yamato clan sends Japanese nobles to study in China
The visitors spend a year or two studying and return and spread Chinese knowledge
Japanese rulers adopt ideas of absolute power, central government, bureaucracy and a law code
In 710 the capital of Nara modeled Chinese cultures
Chinese characters were used to write official histories
Pagoda architecture adopted as Buddhism spread
Confucian ideas also take root
Japanese selectively borrowed Chinese culture
The people assert their identity by revising the Chinese system of writing by adding kana